75ZT Community

Have just fitted new rear discs and pads on my 75.

Handbrake always held well with old discs fitted but unfortunately they were warped and the pads were not meeting with a lot of the disc.

After replacing the discs and pads my handbrake is now pants.

I adjusted it by pulling handbrake on 2 notches and then adjusting til the pads were gripping the disc - which I how I remember doing previously on my Carlton with a similar system.

Is it just the new shoes need beeding to the new liners in the discs? Should I have fitted new shoes - even though they had plenty of meat on them?

Any help would be greatly appreciated - my drive is far from flat and the handbrake would not hold the car on it.

Chris

There are adjusting cogs on the inner drum.

Basically (I have no photos and no way of uploading so will try and explain the best I can)

1. Jack up car, remove road wheel.

2. There is a "Hole"in the drum, align it to the top of your wheel (at around 12:00 if it was a clock)

3. Get a torch and lie down, peering through teh hole, you should just make out a cog above teh springs that hold teh shoes.

4. Simply tighten the Cogs (I think they go upwards to tighten and down to loosen) until you cannot rotate the hub with your hands - Use a longi thin flat head screwdriver for easy access

5. Slacken Cog by 3 clicks and then do teh same on the other side of the car.

There is also an adjuster by teh Handbrake lever, but you do not actually adjust the Handbrake using that one, it is more of a "Fine adjustment" tool - If you do use this to adjust teh whole handbrake, if I recall correctly it can stretch your cable.

I think thats more or less it, I am sure someone else will add to this if I missed anything out.

One last point, while car is Jacked up make sure you support it with Axle stands....

another last point.ahem......... 3 - 5 Clicks is acceptable travel for MOT purpose so don't panic if Handbrake grips at 5 clicks like mine does

Carl has the method described spot on.

I usually slacken the handbrake lever adjuster a bit first, to make sure it's not holding the brake on a bit.

Also, the adjusters seem to be random about which way they turn, depending on which way they got fitted. The factory might (or might not?) be consistent, but if the brakes have ever been worked on it's chance as to which way they get put back.

Thanks guys.

That's roughly the method I used.

The car moves on the handbrake - very slowly.

But when I go back to it having left it a while the handbrake holds. Didn't even let go when I was testing my clucth biting point after giving it another bleed.

I think that maybe the shoes and linings just needs to bed in a bit. I'll see how it goes.

Chris

MrB wrote:Thanks guys.

That's roughly the method I used.

The car moves on the handbrake - very slowly.

But when I go back to it having left it a while the handbrake holds. Didn't even let go when I was testing my clucth biting point after giving it another bleed.

I think that maybe the shoes and linings just needs to bed in a bit. I'll see how it goes.

Chris

Yes, that makse a big difference. Apply it a bit while moving a couple of times.

After a while re-adjust and it should work well.

It would be good if someone could post up a picture showing the shoe arrangement with the disc/drum removed so that the cog thingy can be seen. Then perhaps a 'how-to' could be done showing this.

Like this one?

There is already Know How document including this rather small pic. handbrake-drum-adjustment-f228.html

Thanks Mick, I was stupidly looking under "Chassis and running gear" as it includes brakes.

Worth mentioning the compensator mod that Artic stocks, eliminating a lot of the springiness in the setup